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| Nobody knows your farm better than you.. and you may have the best rotation already figured out. However, we used to be 100% wheat also on our farm... 30 years ago and yet today it's only about a quarter of our production.
We didn't make any big leaps at any one year but over a period of time of trying things.. reaping and building on the successes and correcting/withstanding the failures.. we've transitioned to a more sustainable rotation.. imho. We use no-till wheat stubble to plant dryland corn.. or sorghum.. (which can take the heat and less water..) over time our soils have mellowed since we moved away from the heavy tillage. Also the buildup in our fertility with growing a more intensive crop has helped improve our ability to withstand droughts.. It doesn't eliminate the risks but our soils are healthier and we're more adapted now. I understand that heavy clay soils in the Southern heart of HRW country can be a no-tiller's challenge but I believe there's some progress there... ???
There's parts of our farm that really haven't changed.. wheat really is the best option.. and there are parts that can really crank a good dryland corn crop.. 187 bpa this year on one field.. However only 64 on another.. so you roll with the punches. The thing is that the rotation has improved our wheat yields.. as has the added fertility.. and somewhat spread our risks out. One year we raised.. 50/60 bpa doubled back wheat on an irrigated circle with only.. a pass or two of water.. while 25/30 dryland right across the road.. the difference wasn't all explained with the applied water.. fertility and soil structure had just as much to do with it.. in short a healthier soil. The wheat, plow, wheat rotation destroys soil structure.. and makes the soils harder with less rainfall penetration as well as less nutrients available to the crop... at least that is what we have found... "here."
We raise irrigated corn so the dryland is kind of a "tune up" for the real show.. However a lot of the things that we've learned growing dryland continuously over the past 20 years.. we are applying to our irrigated.. moisture conservation.. herbicide programs.. tillage practices.. hybrids etc.. so it works together for us. Although we've had some train wrecks also.. 15 bpa dryland corn... doesn't work too well... especially with today's costs...
If I was solely dryland I would probably focus more on milo.. which in your area along with Cotton, Forage, Canola.. not sure what else is going on down there...??? But diversity has been good for us.. again I'm not arguing with success.. but that doesn't mean that success can't be further built upon.
For you that may even include going deeper into the Livestock.. ?? I don't know.. my comments are directed at the opportunities that exists for experimenting with something new.. Find out people close to you that have done it.. If you can learn from someone else's mistakes.. maybe you won't have to repeat them... again everything has to be applied to your own operation.. which alone might cause "issues." So not trying to "preach" just throwing my experiences and yes failures out there for someone else to go build upon...
Again I believe there may be opportunities to transition wheat acres into other crops.. such as feed grains for the domestic ethanol market.
jmho... I could be wrong.
Edited by JonSCKs 2/10/2010 21:21
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Feb 2010 Supply ans Demand report
